This invention relates to trailer hitches and more specifically to a so called gooseneck trailer hitch.
Conventionally, gooseneck trailer tongues consist of a ridged L shaped connector with a socket or cavity at the end of the vertical section of the tongue which receives the trailer hitch ball mounted on the vehicle which is to tow the trailer. The towing ball is customarily mounted in the approximate center of the bed of the truck over the rear axle. The vertical member of the tongue with the socket or cavity at its end is ridgely and permanently affixed to the horizontal member of the tongue which in turn is attached to the trailer.
The above described conventional gooseneck tongue has several problems. The trailer can be easily stolen by anyone who happens to have a properly sized towing ball on their truck. The thief simply backs up under the gooseneck, attaches the socket to his towing ball and drives off.
Also conventional gooseneck trailers must be equipped with a jack, usually a hydraulic jack so that the socket can be lowered onto or raised off of a trailer hitch towing ball. The conventional proceedure is to raise the hitch by means of a hydraulic jack, back up the towing vehicle to place the towing ball directly below and in alignment with the socket and then lower the gooseneck vertically onto the towing ball. The uncoupling involves the reverse of these steps.
Additionally, coupling with a conventional gooseneck trailer hitch is difficult and inconvenient for one person to accomplish. Two people are usually required, one to position the towing vehicle and the other to raise or lower the socket into the towing ball when alignment is achieved.